We have gotten to know a couple of Isla Mujeres’ restaurant owner/operators particularly well over the years. Fredy, Sergio, Ziggy and Polo all contribute to the Isla Mujeres culinary scene in their own distinctive ways.

Recently when scooting through the Colonias in a golf cart, Polo of Mango Cafe was driving by and waved us down. This is his wife and beautiful baby.

The menu at Mango Café is inventive and Polo’s dishes are exquisitely crafted. Each plate comes out of his kitchen looking like it was professionally styled. His take on traditional fare elevates each offering to the extent that none of us can stay away. We always pay Mango Café a visit during our time on Isla Mujeres, sometimes more than once.

Dinners are definitely memorable but it is Polo’s breakfasts that we particularly love.

On our most recent visit, Don had the stuffed poblano chili. When I first tasted this dish on Isla, I couldn’t believe that I had ever thought of stuffing eggs into a chili before, especially in the land of chilies relleno.

D loved the breakfast quesadillas. Look how pretty this plate was?

Victoria could not resist ordering Polo’s French Toast; a dish that our entire family loves.

In fact, last year just before they left the island, they packed in for one last feed.

I adored the Eggs Benedict with curried hollandaise, crispy bacon, mushrooms, chia (like spinach) & cheesy potatoes. “Heaven, I’m in heaven…..”

Kath’s quote: “We did not immediately come up with béarnaise, Bercy, and poivrade sauces. It took more than a single attempt to discover reduced cream, marinade, and forcemeat. We did not straightaway invent barding fat, the touch of garlic, and the thin slice of truffle under the skin…. While genius is spontaneous, its manifestations nevertheless require the passage of time before glorious perfection is achieved. This is particularly true in the area of food and drink…. Magical dishes, magical words: a great cook is, when all is said and done, a great poet. . . . For was it not a visit from the Muses that inspired the person who first had the idea of marrying rice and chicken, grape and thrush, potatoes and entrecôte, Parmesan and pasta, aubergine and tomato, Chambertin and cockerel, liqueur brandy and woodcock, onion and tripe?”-‘Cinquante Ans a Table’

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

On day 6 we were up for sunrise which took 45 minutes to come above a bank of clouds.

D went to Roca Mar to fetch Don and Victoria and then picked me up at Luna D’ Miel. The plan was that we were to drop off the guys at the tennis courts and go beachcombing while they played a couple of sets. Don remarked that there were a team of workers there to clean the courts for them. But we found out (to their dismay) that the courts were going to be pounded out, and we assumed replaced. The guys were bummed out but so grateful that they had gotten in their games the day previous.

Instead the guys dropped us off for a 1/2 hour of shelling

and then we headed to Mango’s for breakfast as Don had never been. We love Polo’s food and Mango Cafe’s funky décor.

We zoomed around while we still had the golf cart. I love the beautiful churches on Isla Mujeres and we slowed down to check out this relatively new one.

This has long been my favourite church. Can you guess why?

Can you imagine living on this street with the crystal blue ocean at the corner?

The shops of Hidalgo have their charm but I personally love these tables across from the sea.

If these walls could speak…..

Aren’t these colours magnificent?

Before we returned the cart, we dropped V & D off at North Beach and then returned later and spent a lovely late afternoon at the beach to visit my siblings and their friends.

Kath’s quote: “More varied than any landscape was the landscape in the sky, with islands of gold and silver, peninsulas of apricot and rose against a background of many shades of turquoise and azure.”-Cecil Beaton

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

My photos got scrambled when I watermarked them and as a result, I cannot find the sunrise pics from this particular morning. I do know that I started the day with some beachcombing and this was my haul.

Doug and Don (our daughter in law’s father) were determined to play tennis in spite of them both having chest colds. D anticipated Don’s arrival from Roca Mar at about 8 am. At some point D started walking into town. In the mean time, Don had walked on the incorrect airport road and could see our place across the runway but could not figure out how he was going to walk across. Luckily he hailed a cab and the guys were reunited. They had a great/sweaty time and vowed to do it again the next day. Meanwhile Don’s spouse Victoria walked to our place and then we cabbed to meet the guys at Bahama Mamas where we all chose a $5 breakfasts. D and I both had the potato omelet, Don pancakes & fruit and Victoria the mushroom omelet. After brekkie we decided that it would be fun to split a golf cart for the day.

Our first stop was at Casa de la Suenos which was an enormous hit with their gorgeous setting and what we thought were the most amazing nachos ever. We split them for a late lunch. D & V had a cheese & bean fajitas which were deemed less spectacular.

We walked out to the end of their dock for photos. This one of Don and Victoria.

We stopped for a look at La Joya as D & V had almost booked there and never seen it.

We tootled around the island including stops at Hortenzia’s to get some work done for me and North Beach for a swim. Actually only V & D swam as my D had already showered and I had a bit of a headache.

That evening after sunset on our front porch, we picked them up for supper where we had arranged with BoBo’s to watch a Jets game.

We were upstairs which was stiffling hot but we had so much fun watching a great game even though Winnipeg lost in a shoot out. We met a guy from Liverpool /Winnipeg who’s wife worked with my sister! My friend Jackie from Winnipeg came by & we visited through the 2nd period. We had tried to meet up with Brother #2 but he and his wife were meeting friends who had come over from Puerto Moreles for the evening. We enjoyed a nap cap under the stars. Another wonderful day.

We are not sure if D is going to be packing his tennis racket in 2016. We are staying at Villas San Miguel and the plan is to enjoy their lovely courtyard, walks on the malecon and the proximity to North Beach. We are also looking forward to cooking in their full kitchen. With their convenient proximity to the grocery store and market, this should be a breeze.

Kath’s quote: “We have the most beautiful planet – the Rockies, the purple fields of the United States, the Lake District, the Pyrenees, the turquoise seas of the tropics.”-Dan Aykroyd

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

We all our have favourite views from Isla Mujeres. I personally love the crashing waves on the Caribbean side, but my first stay on Isla, many years ago now, was within walking distance of Casa de los Suenos and I love to return there to eat up the view and recently (I am happy to say), the food!

These were the chicken nachos that we ordered when we stopped for a snack on what we call “golf cart day”.  They were nothing short of sensational; in fact the best chicken nachos that the four of us had eaten anytime, any where!

Just in case you needed another perspective on the nachos…..

V & D selected the cheese and bean barritos which were pretty darned good, but the nachos….did I mention we loved the nachos?!

I have never had a full meal at this restaurant. Chime in if you have. We typically go after snorkelling at Garrafon or for Happy Hour but based on this recent experience, we cant wait to go again when next on the island.

Kath’s quote: I have a chip on my shoulder. It’s a nacho, not a sense of bitterness.” ― Jarod Kintz

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

After loving our dinner the evening before with friends Jan and Bruce, I was right back at Bahama Mama’s to introduce it to V and D. The guys joined us once they had finished their tennis match as the courts were in the vicinity. We are all food lovers but even more so when every breakfast offering has a five buck cost. D and I each selected potato omelets. We love fluffy egg cakes filled with potatoes at one particular restaurant back home and we sometimes try to find a place that replicates the taste  when we travel.

V selected the Mushroom omelet and was well pleased.

Don chose the pancakes and fruit.

We all loved the cheery ambience of the family owned restaurant.

The husband and wife team are passionate about their food, including the fresh ingredients, the preparation techniques and the final picture on the plate.

So much time has past since they shared their story with us but I think that at least one of them is originally from Isla, the other from Cuba and one or both have spent time in the Bahamas, hence the name. We had a hunch that it was not our last visit and that proved to be true.

Kath’s quote: “Hand go, hand come.” interpreted as: As you give, so shall you receive. -Bahamian saying

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.